Conveyor turn wheel construction



Aug. 28, 1962 D. D. ZEBLEY CONVEYOR TURN WHEEL CONSTRUCTION OriginalFiled April 1, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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00/1940 0 ZE'BLEY Maw limited tates atent 3,051,011 CONVEYOR TURN WHEELCONSTRUCTION Donald D. Zebley, Box 7176, Branwood St-, Greenville, S.C.

Original application Apr. 1, 1957, Ser. No. 649,837, now Patent No.2,869,709, dated Jan. 20, 1959. Divided and this application Jan. 20,1959, Ser. No. 787,864

1 Claim. (Cl. 74-243) This application is a division of my copendingpatent application Serial No. 649,837, filed April 1, 1957, relating toa conveyor construction, now Patent 2,869,709, dated January 20, 1959.

This invention relates to conveyors and more particularly to a trolleyconveyor construction.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a plurality ofpairs of identical stampings making up the series of spaced brackets forthe present conveyor system.

It is the further object to provide a conveyor system which consists ofa series of relatively short cable sections with cylindricalenlargements secured upon the opposite ends thereof and with trolleybrackets constructed for splicing the adjacent ends of a pair of cableelements and in this fashion making up a complete conveyor system.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a novelform of wheel track for movably mounting and suspending the. series ofload carrying conveyor brackets, which at the same time serve as a meansof splicing the cable elements together.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a very simplelight weight trolley conveyor system which consists of a single stampingcorresponding to each conveyor bracket together with a cooperativelocking plate for immovably securing said brackets in a series to spacedportions of a conveyor cable or to the respective adjacent ends of aseries of aligned cable elements for splicing these elements togetherand at the same time securing the conveyor brackets to the said splicedcable elements and incorporating means for movably mounting the assemblyfrom an overhead track.

It is the further object to provide novel form of floating wheel type ofturn guide for the present conveyor.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

'FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a conveyor bracket assembly assnspendedfrom an overhead track, a portion of which is shown in sectionfor illustration.

FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view thereof, fragmentarily showingthe track and the cable elements.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the splicingof a pair of registering track elements.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an end view of one of the cable elements showing thecylindrical button thereon.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view illustrating the supportfor the overhead track.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary diagram of the Caterpillar drive for the presentconveyor.

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of a slightly different "ice otherembodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafterset forth.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the opposedsymmetrical brackets 27 which form the independent load bearing conveyorelements.

The overhead track consists of a series of longitudinally extendingstandard sections. These include the upright rectangularly shapedreinforcing bar 11 and arranged upon opposite sides thereof the pair ofopposed upright wheel support channels 12 and 13, suitably securedthereto as by the welds 14.

Each .of the said channels includes the central upright plate 15 whoseupper longitudinal portion is reversely turned and semi-circularlycurved at 16 through the length of the track. The lower longitudinalportion of plate 15 terminates in reversely turned opposedsemi-circularly shaped wheel supports 17 for wheels 35.

FIG. 3 illustrates the present method of supporting the overhead trackand for splicing together aligned sections thereof. In FIG. 3 there areshown a pair of aligned track sections 12 which meet along the uprightline 45 and which are secured together by the elongated opposed stampedplate 18, more clearly shown in FIG. 6, whose outer edges are curvedinwardly to cooperatively engage over the curved portions 16 and 17 ofthe track elements.

The upright bolt 19 threaded as at points 21 extends throughcorresponding apertures in the track engaging plates 18 and is suitablysecured thereto by the nuts 22 and 25 as shown in FIG. 6. Additionallythe supporting bolts 19 are secured to interior portions of tracks 12and 13 as by the welds 20.

At spaced portions of the said track there are arranged transverseanti-sway braces 23-23' which are retained above the track and upon thetrack engaging retaining plates 18 by the bolt 19 and nut 25, and areadditionally secured to plates 18 by the welds 26. These plates adjacenttheir ends are apertured at 24 providing a convenient means of anchoringthe same to some portion of the building structure for the purpose ofpreventing swaying of the conveyor track. The ends of plates 23 may beturned angularly upward as at 23 if desired to facilitate attachment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown an individual conveyor elementwhich consists of a pair of opposed symmetrical brackets 27 which arepreferably stampings, being a low cost method of manufacture, and whichtake the shape shown.

Intermediate portions of upright plates 27 are semi-circularly curvedoutwardly at 28, and being a plate of uniform thickness, thereby definea pair of semi-cylindrical recesses 29 arranged in opposed relation as ameans of joining the cable ends of the said brackets in the mannerhereafter described. Plates 27 are secured together in spaced relationby the bolts and nuts 36 arranged above and below central arcuateportions 28.

The plates 27 above the upper bolt taper upwardly and outwardly at 31with reinforcing ribs 32 and terminate in the upright extensions 33 uponwhich the supporting rollers 35 are journaled and retained. For thispurpose suitable rivets 34 are employed upon which the wheels 35 arejournaled and retained with a suitable bushing 36 spacing the wheelsfrom the corresponding plate extension 33.

A pair of said wheels 35 are so arranged as to movably nest within theopposed channels 12 and 13 which provide the overhead track abovedescribed and by which the series of conveyer elements are movablymounted and suspended.

Plates 27 below the lower bolts 30 are tapered outwardly as at 36 andterminate in the laterally spaced load supports 37 transverselyapertured at 38.

The present conveyor while it might be made up of a unitary cable havingsecured thereon a series of cylindrical buttons for securing therespective opposed bracket elements, nevertheless in the preferredembodiment consists of a series of cable sections 39 of a uniformpredetermined length, such as 12 or 18 inches.

Cylindrical buttons 4%) are suitably secured as by swaging upon therespective ends of each cable section 39, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.These buttons have in their opposite sides the opposed parallel slots 41adapted to receive the retaining keys 43 which form an integral part ofplates 27.

This assembly is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. Here the arcuateportions 23 in plates 27 have formed therethrough a series of uprightslits 42 or inwardly lanced portions. The metal of the said platebetween said lances is pressed inwardly defining the retaining keys 43which remain a part of the said plates and are snugly received withinthe opposed upright notches 4d formed in the end buttons 4% on the cableelements.

The plates 27 are brought together enclosing within arcuate members 23the pair of buttons 4t} on the ends of the adjacent cable elements 39with a slight space 44 therebetween if desired. Said plates areimmovably secured together by the bolts and nuts 30 completing theassembly. This, not only splices the cable elements together, buteffectively secures the upright plates 27 together and with respect totheir supporting rollers or wheels 35 completing the conveyor assembly.

Light Weight Trolley Assembly A slightly different form of conveyorassembly is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 of a light weight construction, anddistinguishable from the above described conveyor assembly in that therespective conveyor element is supported by a single roller 61, movablymounted upon a horizontally elongated channel track 46 similar tochannels 12 and 13, FIGS. 1 and 2.

Track 46 in FIG. 8 has at its top and bottom the longitudinallyextending opposed reversely turned semi-circularly shaped track elements47 and 43, with the roller 61 movably supported loosely upon lower tract48.

As one means of support for track 4-6 there are provided a series oflongitudinally spaced brackets 49 welded to upper portions of the trackat and transversely apertured at 51. The track is supported at a seriesof horizontally spaced points by the mounting brackets 55 whose lowerbifurcated ends '52 loosely receive brackets 49 and are secured theretoby the transverse headed pin 53 and the retaining cotter-pin 54.

The conveyor mechanism consists of a series of longitudinally spacedupright cable engaging brackets, one of which is shown. This lightweight trolley assembly consists of the formed upright plate 56 whichtowards its upper end has an outwardly tapered upwardly extendingportion 57 terminating in the upright extension 58. Rivet 59 and spacingbushing 60 eflcctively journal and mount the roller or wheel 61 adaptedto move within the open channel track as.

The central upright flat portion of plate 56 has formed therethrough thehorizontally extending rectangular aperture 62. Said plate also hasformed upon one side and beyond the ends of aperture es the arcuateslots 63 adapted to cooperatively engage portions of the cable elementsThe slots 63 may be serrated, if desired to increase frictional contactwith the cable elements. Each of the individual cable elements 64 havesecured upon their ends cylindrical buttons 65, which as shown in FIG.9, are in longitudinal registry as at 72 and are nested so as to projectlaterally through the bracket aperture 62, as shown in FIG. 8.

The assembly is completed by the upright retainer plate 66 which issecured to plate 56 in parallel spaced relation by a pair of bolts andnuts 67 arranged above and below cable buttons 65. Plate 66 also hasformed therethrough a rectangular aperture 69 corresponding to aperture62 and in opposed relation thereto and through which portions of thebuttons 65 laterally extend in the same manner. Outer portions of plate66 upon its interior beyond the aperture 69 are arcuately slotted at 68opposing the slots 63 adapted to cooperatively receive cable elements64. Slots 68 may be serrated if desired.

By this construction there is provided a very simple and effective meansof splicing cable elements 64 to gether by a simple trolley conveyormechanism which includes plates 56 and 66 bolted together at 67.

The lower portion of plate 56 is laterally offset as at 7t! so as to bein vertical registry with the vertical axis of roller at and thusdefines with the transverse aperture 71 means for supporting a load andfor moving the same throughout the length of the conveyor track.

A slightly difierent form. of conveyor assembly is fragmentarily shownin FlG. 10, which consists of a single upright stamped plate 73 havingtowards its upper end an upwardly and outwardly tapered portion 74corresponding tomember 57 in FIG. 8. This plate is broken oil, but is ofexactly the same construction as shown in PEG. 8 at its upper end withregard to the wheel mounting and it is supported upon a track similar totrack 45. Also the lower end of plate 73 is transversely apertured at71' providing means for suspending a load.

This trolley assembly utilizes a conventional type of cable clamp whichincludes a recumbent U-shaped bolt 75, threaded at both ends, whosebight retainingly extends around a portion of cable 64. Aperturedgripping plate 75 receives the free ends of bolt 75 and has an internalslot 77 adapted to cooperatively and retainingly engage opposingportions of the cable. The bolt ends at 75 extend through plate 73. i l

The assembly is completed by the application of nuts 78 whereby the loadcarrying plate 73 orconveyor ele ment is eifectively secured to aportion of the movable cable 64.

FIG. 7 diagrammatically indicates in plan a Caterpillar type of drivewhich is preferably used on efiecting feeding of the present conveyorassembly i.e., those shown in FIGS. 1, 9 and 10.

Sprocket chain 81 is movably mounted and extends around the drivesprocket 79 which is power operated and spaced takeup sprocket 80. Saidchain has secured thereto throughout its length at spaced portionscorresponding to the center distance between trolley conveyor elements,a series of outwardly projection pairs of conveyor engaging lugs 82.These are adapted to loosely yet operatively engage in driving relationend wall portions of the plates 27 adjacent the cable elements 39'.

In the case of the conveyor assembly shown in FIG. 9, the lugs areadapted to operatively engage central edges of the plate 56 adjacentcable elements 64. By this construction the spliced cable elements withtheir associate trolley conveyors are elTecti-vely moved along thelength of the overhead supporting track.

A formed guide 83 is also employed horizontally spaced from the plane ofthe table elements 39 over which movably extends the sprocket chain 81for maintaining said chain in close operative engagement with thetrolley conveyor assemblies as they are moved horizontally.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the turn wheel 84 over which the cableelements 39 and their associated trolley conveyor elements move in thedesired direction.

Turn wheel 84 is constructed from a pair of circular centrally aperturedopposed plates 85. The inner edge portions of said plates bounding theaperture therein overlie the shoulder 87 of hub 88 and are suitablywelded thereto or otherwise secured as at 86. A suitable bush ing 89 isretained within hub 88 and is journaled over the support shaft 95, FIG.11.

Outer contacting portions of plates are suitably secured together as bythe welds 96. These portions terminate in the annular parallel spacedperipheral extensions 90 which define around the wheel the annulartrough or groove 92. The peripheral plate elements 9 1 are reinforced bythe series of radial ribs 90. A series of pulley wheels 93 are arrangedaround the periphery of wheel 84 partially within the annular groove 92and journaled and retained therein by the series of spaced rivets 94.

A portion of each of the pulleys 93 projects beyond the periphery of thewheel assembly 84 in order to cooperatively receive portions of thecable elements 39, as shown in FIG. 11.

The centers of the pulleys 93 are so spaced as to provide an adequateclearance for the conveyor assemblies 27, which will move between thesaid pulleys as the cable assembly movably extends around said turnwheel. The spacing of portions of pulleys 93 outside the edges offlanges 91 is at least equal to one-half the diameter of the pulleys, asshown in FIG. 11.

As all cables subject to load are capable of some yielding orstretching, the spacing between pulleys 93 is such that should there notbe an exact registry of the conveyor assembly 27 between a pair ofwheels then the said assembly would in efiect roll into such space,being guided over the individual pulleys 93 carried by the main wheel84.

Accordingly the present turn wheel 84 is constructed to compensate forany slight change in length or distance between conveyor centers, byspacing portions of adjacent pulleys a distance greater than the widthof the conveyor assembly 27. 1

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to thefollowing claim.

In a trolley conveyor, a support, a turn wheel loosely journaled thereonadapted to receive a movable cable carrying an idler series of equallyspaced load supporting conveyor assemblies, said wheel consisting of apair of centrally apertured discs, a supporting hub secured to portionsof said discs defining their apertures, intermediate annular portions ofsaid discs converging and secured together, said annular portionsterminating in a pair of outwardly projecting parallel spaced peripheralflanges defining an annular recess, and a series of spaced pulleyspartially nested within said recess and journaled between said flanges,the pulley axes being parallel to the wheel axis, portions of spacedpairs of said pulleys extending outside the edges of said flanges beingspaced apart at least half the pulley diameter adapted to cooperativelyreceive a conveyor assembly therebetween, as said cable engages around aplurality of said pulleys, said pulleys being spaced to compensate forslight variations in spacing of said conveyor assemblies on said cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS468,843 St. John Feb. 16, 1892 511,012 Godberg Dec. 19, 1893 542,936Moore July 16, 1895 618,642 Clouser Jan. 31, 1899 978,581 Hamilton Dec.13, 1910 1,704,150 Riley Mar. 5, 1929 1,709,492 Seelbach Apr. 16, 19291,811,270 Henderson June 23, 1931 2,599,233 Christie June 3, 19522,702,114 Jensen Feb. 15, 1955 2,759,592 Daigle Aug. 21, 1956 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N0 3,051 O11August 28 1962 Donald D Zebley error appears in the above numbered pat-It is hereby certified that t the said Letters Patent should read as entrequiring correction and the corrected below.

for "a turn*.,.wheel" read an idler Column 5 line 32,

for an idler" read a turn wheel column 6 line 2,

Signed and sealed this 8th day of January 1963i (SEAL) Attest:

DAVID L. LADD ERNEST W. SWIDER Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

